High speed electronic digital computers often include numerous electrical connections between various printed circuit cards (i.e., boards) within a system. In some systems, a printed circuit board (e.g., motherboard) is provided with a plurality of connectors along one surface such that other printed circuit boards (i.e., blades) are attached to the connectors on the motherboard. The motherboard is typically in a fixed position when one or more blades are plugged into the connectors on the motherboard.
Connecting an additional motherboard to the blades can be difficult due to the misalignment of the opposing edges of the blades relative to the connectors on the second motherboard. Therefore, the blades are typically connected to only one motherboard.
The lack of flexibility in connecting a blade to a motherboard may cause design difficulties in some rack mounted computer systems. A typical rack mount system includes multiple blades (or modules) that form the computer system.
One of the issues with many rack mounted computer systems is that there is often a lack of accessibility to the blades once they are assembled onto a motherboard. In addition, a relatively large force is typically needed in order to insert a blade into a connector on a motherboard.
The individuals that service computers often times apply a potentially damaging force to a blade when the blade is not properly aligned relative to the connector on the motherboard. In addition, the force that is applied to the blade in order to insert the blade into a connector on the motherboard is sometimes applied to the blade at an inappropriate angle such that the force generates an unacceptable level of stress within the blade and the connector on the motherboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,517 discloses a system for removably connecting a circuit card to a connector of an electronic device. The system includes a support structure for loading the circuit card into the electronic device. The support structure is adapted to be slidably inserted along a first axis within the electronic device to a first position. An actuator is mounted to the support structure such that the actuator selectively displaces the circuit card relative to the support structure along a second axis. The circuit card is displaced from the first position to a connection position where the circuit card is operatively coupled to the connector of the electronic device. The support structure includes a sliding member and an intermediate member where the intermediate member is mounted between the sliding member and the circuit card. The circuit card is mounted to the intermediate member and the intermediate member is movable relative to the sliding member such that the intermediate member and the circuit card move together in response to activation of the actuator.
One of the drawbacks with the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,517 is that it requires an additional support structure to be attached to the circuit card. The additional support structure takes up valuable space within the system and adds unwanted expense to the cost associated with fabricating the system.
Another drawback with the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,517 is that the circuit card moves in two different directions as part of the circuit card insertion process. The movement of the circuit card in two directions during insertion causes the system to use extra space during operation.